Career Change: How You Can Build Momentum in the Right Direction Without Undergoing a Complete Disruption

This post springboards from a conversation I had with a client the other day. She is in the throes of revamping her career portfolio: executive resume, cover letter and LinkedIn stories. We are so excited, as she has deliberately, thoughtfully and with enthusiasm, unearthed her achievements, as well as a plethora of skills and attributes related to her leadership, problem solving, strategy and other initiatives.

Are you seriously considering a career shift?

She has worked in an area of focus for 15+ years and and is seriously considering a shift in a different direction. While she has some of the experience required to achieve this directional shift, it will also be necessary to gain a series of new skill sets to cinch her ultimate goal. There is a high likelihood that others with round-peg qualifications will outcompete her in the marketplace if she shoots for the moon right now. She is willing, therefore, to make an interim move that would position her to scale up to this more ideal role, later.

In other words, she wants to go in the right direction, but isn’t looking for a complete disruption, right now.

Do you find yourself feeling secure, but unhappy in your current position, but not quite clear on how to climb over that looming mountain to get to where the passion-filled opportunities rest? If the answer is yes, read on.

Here are four steps to help you gain career change momentum:

1. Write down what your ideal role would look like. For example, if you currently are a technology manager but want to be a vice president, then, jot down what you think that looks like. Brainstorm by looking at VP of technology LinkedIn profiles or position descriptions, and find common themes in how they describe the role. For example, this position listed on Dice.com for Vice President of Technology at Modis leads with requirements regarding “establishing technical vision; leading the direction of future growth.”
2. Revamp your story. If your current resume and LinkedIn do not lead with or prominently display your initiatives in the areas uncovered in step 1, then you will want to aspire to a story that does so. As a rule of thumb, senior-level roles often require higher-level, more strategic content, with an underpinning of P&L.
3. Write down why you want that role. This will help you further ferret out the type of role and company with which to interview. Further, it will help you ask the right questions of the board member, hiring executive, HR executive and so forth who are part of the interview process. After all, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Examples of ‘why’ might be that in your current role you find yourself rowing against a tide of negativity and naysayers, and you wish to move into a new corporate culture where innovation and optimism prevail.
4. Make a tangible move now. Don’t wait until next month, or next year to begin the trek that will lead you to your ultimate goal. It’s more than likely that several levels of achievement lie in the space between where you are now and where you want to be. Get started by whipping your personal brand into shape through a value-infused resume story. On many levels, it fuels and focuses your imminent conversations, equips email lead-ins and imbues you with the confidence that you are who you ‘think’ you are: an experienced, accomplished executive with new contributions waiting to unfurl!

Ditch the ‘too busy’ excuse in regard to investing time + energy into career momentum

The client I referenced earlier is currently employed, and as such, has consciously leveraged the luxury of time and resources to invest in herself and her value proposition without the crush of unemployment and a clock ticking. If you’re currently busily employed and keep putting off thinking about, and acting upon your goals, then take a moment to regroup and reprioritize. Investing energy now into your career aspirations WILL deliver dividends, if only you just take that first tangible step.

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Dip your toes in the water with my low-cost starter kit. Email me for more information at jacqui@careertrend.net.

I am one of only 50 master resume writers and have crafted more than 1,500 career stories that put “your value into words.” My bachelor’s degree in writing/journalism allows me to apply a journalist’s eye to your career.

Image credit: BK on Flickr